ISLAMABAD,
Pakistan: Mar 18 (PNS) - Pakistan is planning to build
more nuclear power plants in years to come to overcome
its energy needs on the basis of self-suffiency principle.

Dr Masud Ahmad, member physical sciences of the PAEC,
proudly stated that the commission has an excellent
safety track record and “we plan to build more nuclear
power plants in the years to come.” The commission has
developed various state of the art techniques for quality
testing both nuclear and non-nuclear, he explained.

Speaking at the ‘PAECIAEA Regional Training Workshop on
Internal Auditing for Quality Control of Nuclear
Analytical Technique’, Pakistan Atomic Energy
Commission top official Dr Masud Ahmad said the
government has been entrusted with the development of
multi-disciplinary applications of atomic energy in areas
like defence, nuclear power, industry, medicine and
agriculture. The PAEC is aware of the importance and
value of quality and safety.

The PAEC senior official claimed, “Our physical and
chemical laboratories have a reputation of outstanding
performance. However in the area of globalisation of
trade, tough competition and strict legislation enacted
by WTO, documentation of quality in all processes and
products is now the prime requirement for acceptability
of results and goods.” He observed that the
international bodies such as ISO and others have made
considerable efforts to establish guidelines for a
general quality system to be applied in analytical
laboratories to trace and document their results in such
a way that compatibility between laboratories can be
obtained.

Masud believed that the excericse of nuclear safety would
not only further bolster the standards of quality
maintained in the laboratories of the countries and all
other states to ensure acceptability of the result.

He called for a firm commitment to a culture of quality
and excellence. “The civilsations which nurture such
culture, progressed and excel and those who do otherwise
are doomed to oblivion, the Pakistani scientist stated.

Masud lauded IAEA help and being forthcoming in assisting
RCA countries in establishing the quality systems
required to obtain national and international
accreditation of our laboratories.

Dr Masud said the idea of quality control and setting
quality standards has become an independent field known
as quality management.

“A society that does not allow for such a process of
social mobility is invariably destined to a culture of
randomness and slipshod performance where the fickle hand
of chance is left to determine the outcome of events,
which have usually disastrous consequences far removed
from any notions of quality or excellence,” he observed.

In connection with quality, he stressed that it is not
that directly linked to technological development.
Philosophically speaking, it is not related to an
abstract notion that perfection is a goal, which has to
be achieved using whatever means, are available, the
scientist elaborated.

“If one looks at history, the great monuments like Taj
Mahal and the great Pyramids of Egypt’s which symolise
graphically the highest standards of quality and
performance in fact had little to do with the state of
technological development prevailing then.” As the
demand for better quality and more reliable products
increased, Dr Masud said the quality systems evolved to
become the modern systems like ISO 9000 series. These now
rely o prevention rather than cure and applicable to all
industries.

He said his institute has published over 1100 research
papers in international journals of repute which is
matched with an equal number in national journals.

Ghaffar said on the basis of its high standards, the
PINSTECH has been designated as a regional resource unit
for the IAEARCA project on air pollution and its trends.

He said in keeping with the commitment of PINSTECH to
scientific excellence, it is now establishing and
implementing quality assrance and quality control systems
as per the international norms.

“This is an important steps towards achieving complete
harmonisation of the laboratory with international
recommendations such as ISOIEC guidelines,” he noted.

He proudly told the participants that last years Islamic
Development Bank awarded first prize to PINSTECH for
making outstanding contribution to the development of
nuclear science and technology in the whole Islamic world.

Dr Paul Dhorthy, representative of IAEA Vienna, lauded
the role played by the PAEC with regard to peaceful
nuclear research.